Airplane



P. J. GRUEBEL Sept. 8, 1925.

AIRPLANE 4 Sheets-Sheei 2 Filed March 2, 1925 ATTORNEY P. J. GRUEBEL Sept. 8.

AIRPLANE Filed March 2, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2? I Win H J ATTORNEY Sept. 1925. 1,553,015

P. J. GRUEBEL AIRPLANE Filed March 2, 1925 30 I V INVE'JYTOK A TTORNLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I To all whom it may concern:

citizen of the United States',-residing at I ,control member of the releasing gear.

principal I thus enabling a' greater number of ,planes to wings are caused to be rn nied's'e t. s, 1925.

PETE? J. GEUEBEL, QF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AIRPLANE Application filed Marsha 1925. Serial flu. 12,6(25.

\ Be it known that I, PETER J. GRUnBnn, a

Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New ;York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Airp lanes, of which-the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in I airplanes, ahdis more partieularly adapted to airplanes of the biplane type. It has for facilitate landings and to provide for an emergency control whereby the itsobject to plane may be caused to} descend snbstan tially vertically and at a safe velocity. further object of he inventionconsists 1n aconstruction ofplane such that whenthe plane is not in usethe same may'hayeits dimension disposed vertically,

is now possible.

To this end,

an airplane withthe body thereof thatthe said wings may be released'and swung atvertical plane Win10" will into a substantially simultaneously therewith conical or tent shaped supporting surfaces carried spread'lrto aiford suflicient sustaining area, as 'in the case of a parachute, to permit av substantially vertically descent'of the plane as a whole and at a not dangerousvelocity.

The nature of the invention, however, will best lie-understood when described in connection with the acoompanying-drawlngs, in which-4 Fig. 1 is a plan of the novel plane, with the covering of one of the wings removed.-

. Fig. .2 is a plan view of the plane 001- lapsed for verticaldescent.

Fig. 3 is a fragme tary side viewofthe I Plane. 1

Figftis a rearview ofthe plane, onezof the win wings .a their vertically disposed positions with sustaining surfaces for vertical descent extended.

Fig. 5 is an underneath view of one of the wings and portion of the body of the plane.

Figs; 6 and 7 are enlarged transverse sections taken respectively on the lines 6-6 and 77, Fig. 5. 1 V I J Fig. 8 is a detail plan view of the releasing gear, and Flg. 9 13 s iuither and fragbeings means;

the invention consists in so associating the oppositely disposed wingsof by the hown in section, and both so being. indicated in dotted lines in leasing gear. 7

. Fig. 101sa detail perspective view of the Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of the sustainingsurface extending Fig. taining member, and Fig. 13 is a perspective of the same in its extended condition, as for vertical descent.

Referring-to the-drawings 20 designates thebody of an airplane, which is herein shown as of the bip'lanetype, having eit- -=tending laterally therefrom in opposite directions wings; 21 composed of upper and lowrv--frames 23,and 24 respectively, sup-' ported and maintained initheirrelative po sition by" a: suitable fuselage including. a

plurality of vertically disposed posts 25.

In accordaneeywith the present'invention; these posts are made hollow for the purpose hereinafter set forth. The upper frames are covered in the'usual manner with,

fabric or other suitable material t0 afiord the necessary wing spread, while the covering of wing spread of thelower plane is:

made in two folds 26 and 27, Fig. 12, "arranged to be separated or distended in manner hereinafter set forth to afford a conical or tent-shaped sustaining member as shovtn more particularly in Fig. 13. Normally, however, the two folds are together forming a flat-wing spread in the usualmanner. I

12 is a perspective view of a sun In accordance with the invention, fur

thermore, the said wings 21 arenot to be rigidly secured to the body 20 as is the usual practice, but are arranged to have a hinged connection therewith at the upper frames, asthru" suitable universal joints 28.

The arrangement is such that, whendesired,

the said wings may swing upwardly, hinging-about the body'20 or rather the um versal joints 28 secured thereto. 7

If the wingsbe then maintained in this position, the plane will assume a shape substantially as shown :in Fig. 20f the drawings and occupy considerably less superficial area thanv wh Q in the operative position shown in; ber of planes i'inay'be stored in a given area when the same are not in use.

7 Normally, and when the plane is in use, the said wings will. maintaln their generally horizontal "position' as shown-in Figs. 1 4, thg upright position thereof,

. Thus, a greater numindicated .in dotted lines, 4, is employed only in landing or in an emergency for the "purpose of permitting descent of the plane in a substantially vertical direction,

the velocity ofdescent being predetermined by the spread of the pair of parachute-like members or tent-shaped sustaining surfaces developing automatically from the lower wing spread simultaneously with the shifting of the wings from a horizontal to a vertical position.

To this end, the lower wing spread though separable is normally maintained against separation from the bottom frame diate its ends if necessary; and these rods at their inner ends are secured to springurged plungers mounted to reciprocate in the hollow posts 25 of the fuselage. The arrangement is such that the plunger-s are urged outwardly by the springs and to swing the lowermost or supplementary frame and carry with the same one of the folds which is attached to said supplementary frame The other fold is attached to bars 32 hingedly connected to the frame 24 and having channel-shaped ends 33 slidable upon the posts 25 and overhanging also the side of the said lower frame 24 and provided-with perforations 34 in the overhanging portions. With the outer of the two folds extended by the frame 30 and permitting thus the air to get underneath the same,

the.other fold will likewise be forced inwardly toward the wing frame 23, the ends 83 sliding along the respective posts 25 the proper extent and thus providing two tentshaped sustaining members above and at either side of the body 20 of the plane, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4, in dotted lines. Thiswill provide ample sustaining surface to bring the plane down gradually in a substantially vertical direction; and in order to fly the same again it will, of course, be necessary to secure the wings in their normal horizontal position.

This and the release of the wings for descent purposes may conveniently be effected thru the mediumof locking rods 35 carrying plates 36 eachof which is provided with a pair of cam grooves 37. Into the latter are adapted to fit pins- 38 extending from and at right angles to pairs of rods 39 which are aligned with the openings 34 of the ends 33 and also with registering openlugs 40 thru the sidesof the frame 24. When the ends of the respective pair of mesons rods are thus passed thru the frame and the end pieces 33, the same will be securely held to the lower frameof a wing androntain between same the lower wing surfaces in folded position so that the plane is substantially similar to the usual well-known types.

- vl hen, however, it is desired to release the supplementary frame as well as the wings themselves, the rod 35 is arranged to be axially movedand will thus shift the cam plates to draw inwardly the corresponding pairs of rods and release thereby the said supplementary frame and angle pieces, as

indicated. To assist in this action, the rodis spring-drawn outwardly as by means of a. spring 45; and at its inner end, said rod is further provided with an upturned portion or detent 46 which is normally held by'a rotatable block 47 against such axial movement. However, when a lever 48, pivotally mounted in the body 20, is rocked, the block 47 is withdrawn from its engagement with the detent'46 and the rod the spring 45 to effect the movements aforesaid. The operation is duplicated forthe opposite wing of the plane, and the respective blocks pass thru slots 49 in the frame 24 to permit the same to swing upwardly.

drawn axially by 1. An airplane having a body and horir9 zontally disposed wings extending in opposite directions therefrom, means to hingedly secure the wings to the body, means to normally retain said wings in fixed relation to the body, means for releasing said wings to permit the same to swing into a plane at right angles to their normal position, sustaining members carried by the respective wings, and means to automatically open up the same upon release of said wings.

2. An airplane having a body and horizontally disposed wings extending. in opposite directions therefrom, means to hingedly secure the wings to the body, means to normally retain said wings in fixed relation to the body, means for releasing said wings to permit the same to swing into a plane at right angles to their normal position, tent shaped sustaining members carried by the respective wings, and means to automatically open up the same upon release of said wings.

3. An airplane having a body and horizontally disposed wings extending in opposite directions therefrom, means to hingedly secure the wings to the body, means to normally retain said wings in fixed relation to the body, means for releasing said wings to permit the same to swing into a plane at right; angles to their normal position, and sustaining surfaces normally forming the wing spread of said wings and comprising suitable fabric layers folded upon each other and adapted to be distended to provide a tent-shaped member for sustaining the plane in a vertical position when the said wings are released.

4:. An airplane having a body and horizontally disposed wings extending in opposite directions therefrom, universal o1nts site directions therefrom, universal joints connecting said wings with said body to permit-the former to swing at right angles to the latter, means to normally retain said wings in fixed relation to the body, a releasingvlever to disengagethe said retainingmeans, separable I sustaining members, and means actuated by said releasing lever toalso release said sustaining members and including means to project outwardly the walls of the separable sustaining members.

6. A11 airplane having a body and horizontally .disposecbwings extending in opposite directions therefrom, universal joints connecting said Wing'swith said body to permit the former to swing at right angles to the lattcr,means to normally retain said wings in fixed relation to the body, and a releasing lever to disengage the said retaining means, separable sustaining members, and means actuated by said releasing lever to also release said sustaining members and including means to project outwardly the walls of the separable sustainin members,

said means comprising hollow rame posts of the fuselage of the plane, and: spring-. urged plungers' movable therein and in connection with the sustaining members.

7. An airplane having a body and horizontally disposed wings extending, in opposite direction therefrom, means to hingedly secure the wings to the body, means to normally retain said wings in fixed relation to the body, means for releasing said wings to.

permit the-jsame to'swing into a'plane at right angles'to their normal position, a supplementary frame hingedly secured to each of the wings and carrying respective sustaining members,- and means to release the respective supplementary frames upon release of the said wings.

whereof I aflixm signature.-

In testimony PETER J. GR BEL. 

